Damon Jones took a long and winding road from Lely High School, from which he graduated in 1991, through the Ivy League, to joining Southwest Florida's most important high school football coaching tree.

Then, after leaving Immokalee High in 2001 as an assistant under former coach John Weber, Jones went into banking. Then, he went into the mining business. Then, he opened a barbecue food stand in Fort Myers where Luckett Road and I-75 meet. In 2010, he started from scratch the football program at the Community School of Naples, which went 11-1 last season, Jones's last at the helm.

Now, the 41-year-old is hoping to rejuvenate the program at Riverdale High School.

"It's been an interesting path," Jones said. "I've learned what I love, and I love what I do."

Riverdale has a 1-7 record in the postseason dating back to 1970 and won its only playoff game while compiling a school-best, 10-2 record in 2005 under former coach Scott Jones (no relation to Damon Jones). Riverdale reached the playoffs for three consecutive seasons in 2008-10 but not once since.

"He's going to be an amazing coach," Riverdale principal Jerry Demming said of Damon Jones. "What stood out was his passion for the sport. He got out of football for a couple of years, then he built them (the Community School of Naples) from nothing. He developed Division I talent at that small of a school. He's got a rebuilding project now, and he's going to do it."

The Raiders finished with a 3-7 record last season under former coach Rob Hinson and interim coach Tom Roszell before being decimated by top players transferring to other Lee County schools.

"I lost 11 players who would have been starters to other schools," said Jones, noting that four went to Island Coast, four to South Fort Myers, three to Dunbar and a 12th, who would have been a starter, to Lehigh. "That was my welcome to Lee County moment.

"My only concern is the message that you send to young people. It's so hard to get kids to buy into commitment and to the team. I understand that circumstances happen and that things change for some of the families. It's just tough when you know that's not the case with all of them."

With that, Jones focused on the 2014 Raiders. They are inexperienced just about everywhere although senior quarterback Jesse Lighthall returns.

"It was pretty tough with all the movement," said Lighthall, who lost his leading receiver and starting tailback to Island Coast. "We definitely want to beat them.

"Our new coach has us heading on the right track."

Jones, who was out of coaching football for more than a decade, realized how much he missed it. The psychology major at Dartmouth, where he played linebacker and then tight end after suffering a shoulder injury, jumped at the chance to return to coaching, first at CSN and then Riverdale.

"I've learned a lot of life lessons," said Jones, who is married and the father of two sons and a daughter.

Jones, also Riverdale's basketball coach, said he realized he could not be as effective leading unless he returned to teaching full-time. He teaches physical education at Riverdale.

"You really have to be around them all day," Jones said. "They're teenagers. So there's a lot of stuff that goes on 24/7. You need to be in tune to them."

In addition to Lighthall, tight end Blake Barley, defensive end Guillermo Antillion, running back Jamal Watkins and guard Jacob Hillman are returning seniors looking to lead these Raiders.

"These guys have never been asked to lead, so I'm trying to teach them how to lead," Jones said. "We want kids who want to be at Riverdale. If you don't want to be at Riverdale, we wish you the best of luck."

Chris Fields wants to be there. The receivers coach graduated from the school in 2004 and has returned to teach as well.

"He's for the kids," Fields said of Jones. "You can see he has already done a lot for the program."

Connect with this reporter: David Dorsey (Facebook), @DavidADorsey (Twitter).

JONES AT A GLANCE

Who: Damon Jones

What: First-year Riverdale High School football coach

Age: 41

Previous: Built from scratch the program at Community School of Naples,, where he went a combined 25-15, including 11-1 last season.

Out of football: After coaching as an assistant at Immokalee in 1995-2001, Jones went into the banking and mining industries.